BY JOSEE NG

How do you handle your partner not getting along with your best friend? My interview with Glam Magazine offers tips on setting boundaries and how to fairly divide your time. #BFF #partnerandBFF

Josee writes, “When you find someone whom you can call “the one,” you stop at nothing to make your relationship work. You always strive to improve your compatibility with your partner by cultivating common interests, and you spare no efforts to make your family members like the person. However, it seems that in most relationships, people are so preoccupied with helping their partners get along with their family members that they tend to overlook an equally important dynamic: their besties’ good opinions of their significant others.

Everyone differs in their personality and interests, and it’s not impossible for your partner and closest friend to have conflicting perspectives. Just because a person is your bestie doesn’t necessarily mean they must endorse your partner. And the same can be said for your partner. Just because he wants to spend the rest of his life with you doesn’t mean you can force him to agree with the Spice Girls’ tenet, “If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends.” Your bestie might have been on the scene much longer, but it’s your partner who will be your family and have a legally binding union with you (if you choose to tie the knot that way). When your pal and your partner can’t see eye to eye at all, it puts you between a rock and a hard place, psychologist Dr. Kate Balestrieri told TZR. If you’re finding yourself in this situation, here’s how to get to the root of the problem and get rid of it

Set boundaries and divide time

If your bestie and your partner don’t want to be in the same room with each other, you’ll need to spend time with them separately instead of picking sides, per Your Tango. In many circumstances, the partner isn’t the only one who’s jealous and possessive. A jealous bestie can pressurize you and attempt to sabotage your relationship, relationship expert Susan Winter tells Insider. To help your partner understand your friendship with your bestie better, explain how important the company of your bestie is to you, and it’s not right to put your friend aside just because you have a love life. If your partner is a controlling or jealous type, make it very clear that you won’t tolerate being told who you can hang out with and how often you can go out with them. Convey a similar message to your friend so both parties know that you’re trying to strike a happy medium between friend time and couple time.”

 

Continue Reading: https://www.glam.com/1056972/tips-for-handling-your-partner-not-getting-along-with-your-best-friend/